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NBA on TNT
The NBA on TNT is an American presentation of National Basketball Association (NBA) games, produced by TNT Sports (formerly known as Turner Sports and later Warner Bros. Discovery Sports). In the United States, the TNT cable network held the rights to broadcast NBA games from 1989 to 2025, making it TNT's longest-running regular program and sporting event, dating back to only a year after TNT's launch on October 3, 1988. Its telecasts were also streamed on its Max platform from 2023 to 2025. TNT's NBA coverage included the Inside the NBA studio show, weekly doubleheaders throughout the regular season on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a majority of games during the first two rounds of the playoffs, and one conference finals series. It also simulcasted select games with TruTV.
In July 2024, the NBA signed new 11-year media deals with ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video. In response, TNT filed a lawsuit against the league, arguing that their yearly billion-dollar offer matched the deal made by Amazon. The case was settled in November 2024, allowing TNT's parent company to remain involved in the NBA by licensing Inside the NBA to ESPN. TNT also announced that it would continue to operate NBA TV and NBA.com but it later withdrew in June 2025. TNT's contract with the NBA ended with the conclusion of the 2024–25 season and 2025 playoffs. The final game was Game 6 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks on May 31, 2025.
TNT aired many of the NBA's marquee games, including the NBA All-Star Game, Opening Night games, and games on Martin Luther King Day. During the playoffs, TNT split its games with ESPN and aired a full conference finals series. During the regular season, TNT aired games on Tuesday nights and Thursday nights. To avoid competition with the NFL's Thursday Night Football, regular season games during the first half of the season aired exclusively on Tuesday nights.
In the summer of 1987, the Turner Broadcasting System signed a new joint broadcast contract between TBS and TNT effective with the 1989-90 NBA season. Beginning that season, TBS and TNT split broadcast rights to televise NBA games. TNT held rights to broadcast the NBA Draft and most NBA regular season and playoff games, while TBS only aired single games or double-headers once a week.
The 2001–2002 season would ultimately mark TBS's final year of NBA coverage. Turner Sports signed a new NBA television contract in which TNT would assume rights to Turner's NBA package, while TBS would discontinue game coverage altogether. TNT also broadcast games on Wednesday and Thursday nights; ESPN assumed TBS's half of the league's cable television rights. As part of the deal, TNT acquired the rights to the NBA All-Star game, which was moved to a cable television network for the first time.
In 2008, TNT broadcast the NBA Christmas Games for the first time as Marv Albert and Mike Fratello called the game between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Quicken Loans Arena, while Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller called the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers in Rose Garden. TNT aired on Christmas Day again in 2011, when it televised the game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the very first game of the 2011–12 season, as a result of a lockout. Albert (himself a former Knicks broadcaster) and Steve Kerr called the game. TNT normally aired NBA Christmas Day games only if it fell on a Thursday (except during the 2011–12 season). However, TNT announced that they would air a Christmas Day game on December 25, 2017 (a Monday) featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers. It also marked the first time that the Inside the NBA crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal called an NBA regular-season game together.
On May 11, 2011, Turner Sports (this includes TBS) broadcast its 1,000th playoff telecast.
For the 2015–16 season, the NBA and Turner Sports partnered with NextVR to stream the Warriors vs. Pelicans, the first-ever game to be broadcast live in virtual reality.
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NBA on TNT
The NBA on TNT is an American presentation of National Basketball Association (NBA) games, produced by TNT Sports (formerly known as Turner Sports and later Warner Bros. Discovery Sports). In the United States, the TNT cable network held the rights to broadcast NBA games from 1989 to 2025, making it TNT's longest-running regular program and sporting event, dating back to only a year after TNT's launch on October 3, 1988. Its telecasts were also streamed on its Max platform from 2023 to 2025. TNT's NBA coverage included the Inside the NBA studio show, weekly doubleheaders throughout the regular season on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a majority of games during the first two rounds of the playoffs, and one conference finals series. It also simulcasted select games with TruTV.
In July 2024, the NBA signed new 11-year media deals with ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime Video. In response, TNT filed a lawsuit against the league, arguing that their yearly billion-dollar offer matched the deal made by Amazon. The case was settled in November 2024, allowing TNT's parent company to remain involved in the NBA by licensing Inside the NBA to ESPN. TNT also announced that it would continue to operate NBA TV and NBA.com but it later withdrew in June 2025. TNT's contract with the NBA ended with the conclusion of the 2024–25 season and 2025 playoffs. The final game was Game 6 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks on May 31, 2025.
TNT aired many of the NBA's marquee games, including the NBA All-Star Game, Opening Night games, and games on Martin Luther King Day. During the playoffs, TNT split its games with ESPN and aired a full conference finals series. During the regular season, TNT aired games on Tuesday nights and Thursday nights. To avoid competition with the NFL's Thursday Night Football, regular season games during the first half of the season aired exclusively on Tuesday nights.
In the summer of 1987, the Turner Broadcasting System signed a new joint broadcast contract between TBS and TNT effective with the 1989-90 NBA season. Beginning that season, TBS and TNT split broadcast rights to televise NBA games. TNT held rights to broadcast the NBA Draft and most NBA regular season and playoff games, while TBS only aired single games or double-headers once a week.
The 2001–2002 season would ultimately mark TBS's final year of NBA coverage. Turner Sports signed a new NBA television contract in which TNT would assume rights to Turner's NBA package, while TBS would discontinue game coverage altogether. TNT also broadcast games on Wednesday and Thursday nights; ESPN assumed TBS's half of the league's cable television rights. As part of the deal, TNT acquired the rights to the NBA All-Star game, which was moved to a cable television network for the first time.
In 2008, TNT broadcast the NBA Christmas Games for the first time as Marv Albert and Mike Fratello called the game between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Quicken Loans Arena, while Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller called the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers in Rose Garden. TNT aired on Christmas Day again in 2011, when it televised the game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the very first game of the 2011–12 season, as a result of a lockout. Albert (himself a former Knicks broadcaster) and Steve Kerr called the game. TNT normally aired NBA Christmas Day games only if it fell on a Thursday (except during the 2011–12 season). However, TNT announced that they would air a Christmas Day game on December 25, 2017 (a Monday) featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers. It also marked the first time that the Inside the NBA crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal called an NBA regular-season game together.
On May 11, 2011, Turner Sports (this includes TBS) broadcast its 1,000th playoff telecast.
For the 2015–16 season, the NBA and Turner Sports partnered with NextVR to stream the Warriors vs. Pelicans, the first-ever game to be broadcast live in virtual reality.